Another artist of
importance in the early Renaissance was DONATELLO (1386-1466) who worked
mainly as a sculptor. Donatello sculpted the first free-standing nude since
the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The statue, DAVID, shows an
adolescent David with the severed head of his Biblical foe, Goliath, lying
at his feet. The statue is realistic and anatomically accurate, a general
characteristic of most Renaissance art. David is also modeled after the
Ancient Greek and Roman statues, a revival the classical past.
This painting exemplifies
Leonardo's subtle use of light and shadow to create an exquisite softness
and realism in human flesh. The high renaissanse produced some of the most
recognizable art of the western world. By the 16th century, the Renaissance
had reached full blossom in the works of its greatest masters: Leonardo da
Vinci (1452-1519) and Michelangelo Buonarotti from 1475-1564. These two men
left a legacy of pure genius that would bring the Renaissance in Italy to
its culmination. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, a portrait of a mysterious
woman, is probably the world's most recognizable painting.
THE PRINCE, by NICCOLO
MACHIAVELLI. At the time, Italy was not a united country, it was broken up
into several small city-states that were constantly warring and competing
against each other. Machiavelli, a diplomat for Florence, watched
helplessly as Italy was repeatedly invaded and defeated by larger, unified
countries. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a practical guide to how a
leader should rule to maintain and gather political power.
Machiavelli believed that a leader needed to be both clever and
ruthless to be successful. He argued that it was better for a leader to be
feared than loved. People give the bond of love to a leader, and therefore
this bond is weak because it can be broken by the people in times of
trouble. While Machiavelli wrote The Prince about Renaissance politics, his
words had an eerie universality making them applicable to many other times
including today.
There were many long-term
factors that contributed to a decline in the Catholic Church's prestige.
The roots of these trends go all the way back to the Late Middle Ages and
the 14th century. First, the Church found itself challenged by powerful,
secular monarchs. Up until this time, the head of the Catholic Church, the
POPE, was the most powerful leader in all of Europe. When larger
nation-states such as Spain, France, and England came into being, their
monarchs became almost as strong as the Pope. From 1309-1376, the Pope was
forced to live in AVIGNON in Southern France. For more than 1000 years the
Pope had resided in Rome. Suddenly, the king of France was telling the Pope
where to live. This period of time when the Popes lived in France became
known as the BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. This did not enhance the image of the
Church
importance in the early Renaissance was DONATELLO (1386-1466) who worked
mainly as a sculptor. Donatello sculpted the first free-standing nude since
the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The statue, DAVID, shows an
adolescent David with the severed head of his Biblical foe, Goliath, lying
at his feet. The statue is realistic and anatomically accurate, a general
characteristic of most Renaissance art. David is also modeled after the
Ancient Greek and Roman statues, a revival the classical past.
Leonardo's subtle use of light and shadow to create an exquisite softness
and realism in human flesh. The high renaissanse produced some of the most
recognizable art of the western world. By the 16th century, the Renaissance
had reached full blossom in the works of its greatest masters: Leonardo da
Vinci (1452-1519) and Michelangelo Buonarotti from 1475-1564. These two men
left a legacy of pure genius that would bring the Renaissance in Italy to
its culmination. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, a portrait of a mysterious
woman, is probably the world's most recognizable painting.
MACHIAVELLI. At the time, Italy was not a united country, it was broken up
into several small city-states that were constantly warring and competing
against each other. Machiavelli, a diplomat for Florence, watched
helplessly as Italy was repeatedly invaded and defeated by larger, unified
countries. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a practical guide to how a
leader should rule to maintain and gather political power.
Machiavelli believed that a leader needed to be both clever and
ruthless to be successful. He argued that it was better for a leader to be
feared than loved. People give the bond of love to a leader, and therefore
this bond is weak because it can be broken by the people in times of
trouble. While Machiavelli wrote The Prince about Renaissance politics, his
words had an eerie universality making them applicable to many other times
including today.
factors that contributed to a decline in the Catholic Church's prestige.
The roots of these trends go all the way back to the Late Middle Ages and
the 14th century. First, the Church found itself challenged by powerful,
secular monarchs. Up until this time, the head of the Catholic Church, the
POPE, was the most powerful leader in all of Europe. When larger
nation-states such as Spain, France, and England came into being, their
monarchs became almost as strong as the Pope. From 1309-1376, the Pope was
forced to live in AVIGNON in Southern France. For more than 1000 years the
Pope had resided in Rome. Suddenly, the king of France was telling the Pope
where to live. This period of time when the Popes lived in France became
known as the BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. This did not enhance the image of the
Church